During our Rotary Meeting on April 5th, we had the honor of hosting Tanika Thompson, the president of the Yellow Tea Rose Foundation. Founded in 1922 at Butler University, the foundation now boasts a chapter in Rochester that was established in 1999. Their values focus on sisterhood, leadership, and service. Their current objective is to decrease the drowning rate among black children and has partnered with Team USA swim team, given the alarming statistic that 70% do not know how to swim and are three times more likely to drown. The foundation has teamed up with the YMCA to offer water safety lessons and implemented a new mothers' program to achieve this goal.

On April 12th, we welcomed Sal Abbasey, a charming and multi-talented retiree who loves painting, gardening, traveling, and playing the piano. Sal was born in India, raised in Afghanistan, and came to the United States in 1965. He settled in Buffalo, NY, to become a surgeon and spent 40 years in the medical field, acquiring a wealth of experience. We are thrilled to have Sal as a new member of our Rotary Club and can't wait to get to know him better.

On April 26th, the club was graced by the presence of Jenne, her daughter Mary Jo and her daughter's husband, who came to talk about Angels of Mercy. This incredible organization has served our community for 15 years and focuses on Child Abuse Awareness Month. They have opened up their Monorca Group, which provides a safe space for those in need to get the support they need. We are proud to have celebrated Angels of Mercy's 15th anniversary and eagerly anticipate many more years of collaboration. Mark your calendars for their upcoming chicken barbecue on June 30th from 3:30 pm to 7 pm, which promises to be a fun event for the entire family!

During our last Rotary Meeting on May 3rd, we had the pleasure of hosting Bob Kiley, the Deputy Director of Monroe County Parks. Bob's informative presentation shed light on the various improvements underway in the county, including the renovation of the surrounding golf courses, the addition of an inclusive play park at Ontario Beach Park, a new Tropics building at the Seneca Zoo featuring over 340 new species, and a new dog park in Webster. We also had the honor of inducting two new members, Olivia and Brandon, who are excited to become involved. Ray is organizing a Sunshine Camp cleanup on May 13th from 9 am to 12 pm, and local high school students have been asked to lend a helping hand. We also got updates on the upcoming Car Show on June 3rd in Rush, NY, and Terri and Dave's proposal for a trail update, which will be revealed at the next board meeting. We will also host a Reverse Draw Down event on May 25th at Ridgemont. Fines were assessed for Lou's birthday, the new members Olivia and Brandon, Bob's recovery, Bob Kiley and County Parks, Jim's European tour, Jessica's return, Ray's new nephew, Lynn's completion of her medical ethics program, and Bj's return with a new knee.